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“Good morning, Staxius,” said she scurrying down.

“Good morning, majesty, said he with a bow.

“Might I ask who the fine lady is?” her attention turned to the stranger.

“I’m Miira Kronicious, your majesty,” bowed the lady, “-a humble follower of King Haggard.” The sentence had many faces fall into weightlessness. The idea of she who had wished death upon their leader was foolish and irresponsible.

“Well met, Miira,” smiled the queen courteously.

“Intherna, Gophy, Cleopatra, and Miira, please, return to my shadow and make acquaintance.”

.....

“With pleasure,” said they with evil in the stare.

“By acquaintance, how rough should we go?” whispered Gophy the last to leave.

“Try not to kill her, assess the skills, she’ll be a great asset.”

“Puppet army... I see, good, I shall do so.”

Alone with a bike and the waking sun – he stood as the four went on to be acquainted. The shadow realm was a place of bliss. As dangerous and imposing as the name sounded – the world birthed from the inheritance of the greater Death Element, made an idyllic replica of Hidros. The place there was filled with people, rather, puppets, counting amidst the populous. The day-night cycle was the same as the ‘real’ world, and inside Claireville Academy did they spawn.

“We’re back,” said Cleopatra yawning.

‘What’s this immense mana I feel?’ wondered Miira on guard from the ladies. Few gaze here and there’s showed an oval, empty battle-arena. The same place where Eira and Staxius held many o’ battles before.

“Lady Gophy, Goddess of Chaos, Lady Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator, Queen of Eduipt, and Lady Intherna, daughter of sun-god, Rah, it’s a pleasure to make thy acquaintance.”

“You know of our names?” asked Interna taking a strong step forth.

“Tis obvious I’d know the names of people who were close to Zeus,” lobbing a glance at Gophy, “-isn’t that right, Mistress of the Supreme God.”

“Quite uncalled for,” said the Goddess with a river freezing stare.

“There’s no need to glare as if thee wishes to eat mine heart.”

“Miira, you seem a little too confident,” commented Cleopatra.

“I need not hear that from a lady who’d not blink twice to let her empire fall to survive...”

“Crude remarks,” added Intherna, “-it seems thee wishes to fight wholeheartedly?”

“Yes, I wish nothing more than that!”

“Well then,” said Adete with a microphone, “-Miira, here in Shadow Realm; despite our lower numbers, we are a community. To have access into said world, you must prove yourself,” the arena barriers rose and grew transparent. Many ghouls sat as spectators with even a griffin flying over the opened-roof.

What Adete said was true, it was a long time coming but the world inside his Shadow grew to accommodate a whole continent. The people who swore to obey were treated to a life of simpleness or luxury depending on their thoughts. Intherna and Gophy were the monarchs – the Queens of the Shadow.

“Is this place really called the Shadow Realm?” chuckled Miira.

“Yes, is there a problem?”

“No, I just figured there’d be two cages with us battling using cards.”

“Have you lost it?” asked Gophy.

“I guess you didn’t get the joke...” walked towards the center, the arena split into two.

“Firstly, Lady Miira, you’ll fight Lady Intherna followed by Lady Gophy. There’s no need to hold back, the world is strong enough to accommodate the powers of the gods.

“Great,” smiled she as the arena cleared.

“Lady Miira, I still have no clue how thee knows of my identity. Since the master saw you fit to join the Shadow Realm – I’ll make sure to not injure you that hard.” *BEEP,*

They dashed at one another without weapons nor spells. *Smack,* a deadlock from the punches meeting one another.

*Flame Burst.* Aiming her hand below Miira, flames came in the form of an explosion.

*Dimensional Barrier.* The energy from the attack was sucked into a vortex giving time for both to retreat.

*Heed mine call o’ spirit who dwells in mine soul, o’ spirit serves mine blood, o’ spirits who very ire could melt the world, come to me, Onix.* No time spare, Intherna summoned her familiar. In its wake, the temperature rose beyond uncomfortable.

‘She’s going all out,’ thought Miira jumping back, *Come one who is trapped in the never-ending clutches of time, Guardian of the Kronos’s dominion, Giantaom.* A figure as tall as the arena stepped from a portal. Big, heavy, and resembling a status, “ATTACK!” the words activated the Guardian who conjured forth a plethora of spells around the vicinity. Each with angel-tier level magic, the projectiles blasted for Intherna’s familiar.

“No YOU DON’T,” voiced she angrily on the ground, *Come to me, Wing of RAH!* the arena illuminated with the blinding glow. The manifestation of her power, the fiery hair levitated, her legs crossed as she hovered with a staff in hand.

‘She’s NOT MESSING AROUND,’ *BANG!* a direct hit dislocated Miira’s shoulder and threw her away. ‘-The Goddess of Fire isn’t to be trifled with,’ thought she with the combatant coming full speed with the staff aimed for her head.

‘Guess I can’t hold back either,’ *Guardian of the Dominion of Time, she who rules over the East – I, Miira, call upon thy help, grant me thy strength for the time of retribution has come: Azure Dragon Transmutation.* *SMACK,* her fall halted with Intherna landing a clean hit. However, she seemed to come out unscathed. A clench of the fist had Intherna thrown to whence she came.

“Don’t screw with me,” gritted Intherna with the wings increasing heat.

“It’s been quite the battle,” said Miira with her hair changed into blue and green.

“Who knew one of the four legendary dragons would make herself known,” smirked Intherna.

“So you know of the Azure Dragon?”

“Yes,” smiled she, “-who would not know the guardians who fought of both gods and demons in an attempt to save the universe itself. Their self-sacrificing defeat; how did thee manage?”

“The Dragons were defeated, but not killed – God Kronos made sure to have them saved and become eternal guardians of the real dominion of time.”

“If thee have the power of Azure, then, I suppose, there’s no need for me to hold back,” the fiery hair changed into blistering yellow, the essence of normality around her shattered. *In the name of Goddess Intherna, daughter of Rah, I order mine powers to be unleashed, true form: Phoenix.* A blink and the two fought without restraint. Blow after blow, the power of Miira dwindled as Intherna increased her strength. They continued until, *SMACK,* a well-aimed strike had Miira smacked onto the ground. Intherna’s body became naught but flames with humanoid features.

“And that’s the fight!” said Adete amidst what remained of the arena, the whole place was ruined. The guardian and Onix killed each other after breaking Claireville Academy.

*Restrain,* the pressure released, the suffocating feeling lessened.

“Good fight,” said Intherna offering a hand.

“I underestimated the goddess of fire,” chuckled Miira, “-I never knew the gods here were that powerful.” The breeze came from holes littered around; debris was as common as weeds in an untended garden. A moment of respite after a long battle.

“Who knew the Azure dragon was alive,” said Gophy hovering over, “-who are you really?”

“The Eternal Protector of Time. I wield the powers from four dragons of old – the Goddess of Kiant.”

“The realm of the forgotten?” asked Gophy.

“Yes,” smiled she, “-am I going to fight Lady Gophy now?”

“No,” replied Adete, “-the people seem to have been pleased by the show of power. Welcome to the Shadow Realm.”

“Thanks,” cheers and applause came from the destroyed spectator seats, the ghouls, some injured, some without arms, others with no heads, clapped nonetheless.

“There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask,” inquired she who sat with injuries being healed.

“Go ahead,” returned Gophy side-glancing.

“Might I know the name of the announcer?”

“You spoke of me?” came Adete sitting on her shoulders, “-I’m Adete, First Progenitor of the Vampires.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me...” her head lowered.

“Why, is something wrong?” inquired Cleopatra tilting her head.

“Thee are insane,” her head fell backward with senseless laughter.

“She hit her head hard,” said Gophy with a nod.

“Fair assessment,” added Intherna speaking as if doctors looking over a patient, “-the eyes are open, the mouth moves, but sir brain has long departed.”

“Thee doesn’t realize how powerful thee are,” frowned she, “-the First Progenitor is a member of the Death Reaper’s party?”

“No, you got it wrong,” interjected Adete, “-we’re not part of his party, we’re part of his family. He might be a little off at times and has this weird idea of wanting a puppet army,” she hovered to point at the ghouls, “-but they are living creatures with intelligence. They know, feel, and adapt – we’re a growing community, the Shadow Realm is a place of comfort for those who are too dangerous to the ‘real world’.”

“Heed these words carefully,” said a stern Gophy, “-never use thy real strength in the real world. Come and unleash in the Shadow Realm, if we were to fight serious out there, we might accidentally break the very fabric of what the people know as home.”

“There’s an exception to the rule,” said Intherna, “-we’re allowed to only unleash the powers if orders come directly from Master Staxius.”

“I still don’t understand why such a powerful group of people are willing to stand at his side. Surely if thee were to go all out, killing death might not seem that unorthodox,” a fair enough assessment.

“Trust me,” laughed Cleopatra, “-despite my relatively new appearance, I’ve seen things I can’t speak about. The man we call master isn’t just merely the second most powerful entity, he’s the father of the Heir to Creation, and inheritor of the cursed blood of the progenitors. He wields three symbols of power; Goddess Nike, God of Time, and God of Death.”

“Even if we killed him,” said Intherna, “-he would wake up twice as powerful as the prior version. Thus, defeat will come only by his hands, not the hands of another deity – tis the privilege of he who holds precedence over death.”

“What did you mean by father of the Heir to Creation?” her mouth opened unconsciously.

“Do thee not understand basic language? The man is father to Creation’s heir.”

“JUST HOW DAMNED POWERFUL IS HE!” she screamed.

“Very,” laughed the trio. “For now, let’s just rest until he calls for us.” Thus, what seemed to be fairies flew to fix the broken building.

‘I’ve stumbled into a peculiar situation. I can’t believe Scifer was trying to find and kill this man. I now doubt even the God-slayer could harm him. Fighting his companions alone is a tall order. What if someone managed to do so, they would have to deal with him personally, a god with three symbols of power, the blood of the cursed, and things I don’t even know of. Maybe with him, finding the truth about Origin is possible. My revenge against Zeus seems doable...’

.....

“Staxius,” out in Lazuli, off to the side of a pond, “-why are you holding your stomach?”

“I feel somewhat sick,” said he sat on the ledge, “-don’t mind me, what happened to the people sent to Mr. Elon?”

“No response yet,” said the Queen facing a confectionary’s shop. The windowpane gave onto the land of rainbows, pink, sugar, sweets, and candies.

“Is that so,” thought he stood over to the shop, “-don’t you want to buy some?”

“You sure?”

“Why not,” they entered.

“Master,” said éclair, “-I’ve traced the people who attacked us earlier. They’re indeed part of Cimier.”

“The information was correct then, Cimier and Patek’s are one of the same. I was thoroughly fooled,” smirking at what was to come, “-don’t count me out of the race yet.”